This invention relates to medical apparatus in general, and more particularly to anatomical visualization systems.
Endoscopic surgical procedures are now becoming increasingly popular due to the greatly reduced patient recovery times resulting from such surgery.
More particularly, in endoscopic surgical procedures, relatively narrow surgical instruments are inserted into the interior of the patient""s body so that the distal (i.e., working) ends of the instruments are positioned at a remote interior surgical site, while the proximal (i.e., handle) ends of the instruments remain outside the patient""s body. The physician then manipulates the proximal (i.e., handle) ends of the instruments as required so as to cause the distal (i.e., working) ends of the instruments to carry out the desired surgical procedure at the remote interior surgical site. As a result of this technique, the incisions made in the patient""s body can remain relatively small, thereby resulting in significantly faster patient recovery times.
By way of example, laparoscopic surgical procedures have been developed wherein the abdominal region of the patient is inflated with gas (e.g., CO2) and then surgical instruments are inserted into the interior of the abdominal cavity so as to carry out the desired surgical procedure. By way of further example, arthroscopic surgical procedures have been developed wherein a knee joint is inflated with a fluid (e.g., a saline solution) and then surgical instruments are inserted into the interior of the joint so as to carry out the desired surgical procedure.
In order to visualize what is taking place at the remote interior site, the physician also inserts an endoscope into the patient""s body during the endoscopic surgery, together with an appropriate source of illumination. Such an endoscope generally comprises an elongated shaft having a distal end and a proximal end, and at least one internal passageway extending between the distal end and the proximal end. Image capturing means are disposed at the distal end of the shaft and extend through the shaft""s at least one internal passageway, whereby the image capturing means can capture an image of a selected region located substantially adjacent to the distal end of the shaft and convey that image to the proximal end of the shaft. Viewing means are in turn disposed adjacent to the proximal end of the shaft, whereby the image obtained by the image capturing means can be conveyed to a display device which is viewed by the physician.
Endoscopes of the sort described above are generally sufficient to permit the physician to carry out the desired endoscopic procedure. However, certain problems have been encountered when using such endoscopes in surgical procedures.
For example, endoscopes of the sort described above generally have a fairly limited field of view. As a result, the physician typically cannot view the entire surgical field in a single image. This can mean that the physician may not see an important development as soon as it occurs, and/or that the physician must expend precious time and energy constantly redirecting the endoscope to different anatomical regions.
Visualization problems can also occur due to the difficulty of providing proper illumination within a remote interior site.
Also, visualization problems can occur due to the presence of intervening structures (e.g., fixed anatomical structures, moving debris, flowing blood, the presence of vaporized tissue when cauterizing in laparoscopic surgery, the presence of air bubbles in a liquid medium in the case of arthroscopic surgery, etc.).
It has also been found that it can be very difficult for the physician to navigate the endoscope about the anatomical structures of interest, due to the relative ambiguity of various anatomical structures when seen through the endoscope""s aforementioned limited field of view and due to the aforementioned visualization problems.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide an improved anatomical visualization system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved anatomical visualization system which is adapted to enhance a physician""s ability to comprehend the nature and location of internal bodily structures during endoscopic visualization.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved anatomical visualization system which is adapted to enhance a physician""s ability to navigate an endoscope within the body.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved anatomical visualization system which is adapted to augment a standard video endoscopic system with a coordinated computer model visualization system so as to enhance the physician""s understanding of the patient""s interior anatomical structures.
And another object of the present invention is to provide an improved method for visualizing the interior anatomical structures of a patient.
And still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved anatomical visualization system which can be used with remote visualization devices other than endoscopes, e.g., miniature ultrasound probes.
And yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved visualization system which can be used to visualize remote objects other than interior anatomical structures, e.g., the interiors of complex machines.
And another object of the present invention is to provide an improved method for visualizing objects.
These and other objects of the present invention are addressed by the provision and use of an improved anatomical visualization system comprising, in one preferred embodiment, a database of pre-existing software objects, wherein at least one of the software objects corresponds to a physical structure which is to be viewed by the system; a real-time sensor for acquiring data about the physical structure when the physical structure is located within that sensor""s data acquisition field, wherein the real-time sensor is capable of being moved about relative to the physical structure; generating means for generating a real-time software object corresponding to the physical structure, using data acquired by the sensor; registration means for positioning the real-time software object in registration with the pre-existing software objects contained in the database; and processing means for generating an image from the software objects contained in the database, based upon a specified point of view.
In another preferred form of the invention, the generating means create a software object that corresponds to a disk. The generating means may also be adapted to texture map the data acquired by the sensor onto the disk. Also, the registration means may comprise tracking means that are adapted so as to determine the spatial positioning and orientation of the real-time sensor and/or the physical structure.
In another preferred aspect of the invention, the real-time sensor may comprise an endoscope and the physical structure may comprise an interior anatomical structure. The system may also include either user input means for permitting the user to provide the processing means with the specified point of view, or user tracking means that are adapted to provide the processing means with the specified point of view.
According to another aspect of the invention, the real-time computer-based viewing system may comprise a database of software objects and image generating means for generating an image from the software objects contained in the database, based upon a specified point of view. In accordance with this aspect of the invention, means are also provided for specifying this point of view. At least one of the software objects contained in the database comprises pre-existing data corresponding to a physical structure which is to be viewed by the system, and at least one of the software objects comprises data generated by a real-time, movable sensor. The system further comprises registration means for positioning the at least one software object, comprising data generated by the real-time movable sensor, in registration with the at least one software object comprising pre-existing data corresponding to the physical structure which is to be viewed by the system.
A preferred method for utilizing the present invention comprises: (1) positioning the sensor so that the physical structure is located within that sensor""s data acquisition field, and generating a real-time software object corresponding to the physical structure using data acquired by the sensor, and positioning the real-time software object in registration with the pre-existing software objects contained in the database; (2) providing a specified point of view to the processing means; and (3) generating an image from the software objects contained in the database according to that specified point of view.